Ubuntu

run as root in GUI

Asked by Rex

I installed Feisty from the bootable CD after using Red Hat for some years.
I can run programs in terminal mode, but am stymied in the GUI.

For instance, I need to get direct rendering with openGL and a nVidia board. Most advice involves using System->Administration->Restricted Drivers Manager. But
when I try I am blocked because I cannot run as root. This has happened numerous times over the past few days, and I am becoming seriously frustrated with it.

Why set up a nice GUI and then block it usage? What am I missing?

Thanks for any help.

Rex du Pont

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Andrea Corbellini (andrea.corbellini) said : 		#1

If you want the direct rendering you must edit the xorg.conf file so you must be root.
If you don't have root access, log in as root using the recovery mode.

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Rex (rhett333) said : 		#2

I have edited xorg.conf numerous times. That is not where the problem lies.

There are two problems:

I cannot get direct rendering to work.

I cannot run ANYTHING as root in the gui.

Rex

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Ralph Janke (txwikinger) said : 		#3

Normally the GUI will pop up a widget that asks you for a password and you are in administrative mode (i.e. root). If this not happen, check if you have the package gksu (for ubuntu/gnome) and/or kdesu (for kubuntu/KDE) installed. If not install them with the package manager of your choice.

Hope this helps.

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Rex (rhett333) said : 		#4

Ralph,

 Thank you for responding.

 I seem to be running Gnome and there is a folder called gksu in the Python area of /var/. apt-get says I have the latest version installed. However, if I go to the "System" tab and then "Administration" I do not get the pop-up you describe. All I get is the pop-up that says I cannot do it because I am not logged on as "root". Says "Unable to copy the user's Xauthorization file."

Any idea why?

Rex

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Ralph Janke (txwikinger) said : 		#5

Could you please paste the results of the follwing commands:

xauth info

xauth list

ls -l ~/.Xauthority

Thanks

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Rex (rhett333) said : 		#6

Ralph,

Here is the info you requested:

xauth info:
xauth: /home/rex/.Xauthority not writable, changes will be ignored

xauth list
xauth: error in locking authority file /home/rex/.Xauthority

ls -l /home/rex/.Xauthority
-rw------- 1 root root 0 2007-11-14 15:26 /home/rex/.Xauthority

Thanks,

Rex

Revision history for this message
Ralph Janke (txwikinger) said : 		#7

Ok.. I think this is (at least one of) the problem. You .Xauthority file should be own by you, not root.

Execute the following command:

sudo chown rex:rex ~/.Xauthority.

And then look if it works better,

Hope this resolves your issue.

Revision history for this message
Rex (rhett333) said : 		#8

Ralph,

That fixed it!

Seems like something that ought to be either documented, or automatic in the installation.

Thank you very much.

Now on to making direct rendering work!

Rex